No one knows which version of Patrick Mahomes the Kansas City Chiefs will get in 2026. No one is even sure if he’ll be ready for Week 1, despite the quarterback being extremely hopeful that he will be out there for that first game.
A multi-ligament knee injury that required surgery means Mahomes faces a tough rehab process. Even if he comes out unscathed, he may not be the exact same type of player he’s always been. That ambiguity is affecting the perception of him heading into next season, at least in fantasy football circles.
Patrick Mahomes doesn’t make Top 15 fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2026
Kendall Valenzuela of Fantasy Life released a “way-too-early” quarterback rankings list for next season. Surprisingly, Mahomes doesn’t feature; not only in the Top 10, but in the Top 15 altogether.
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
- Drake Maye, New England Patriots
- Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
- Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
- Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
- Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
- Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
- Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
- Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
- Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
- Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
There’s no mention of Mahomes anywhere in the article, so it’s unknown if Valenzuela is holding the Chiefs quarterback’s injury uncertainty against him. While there’s likely to be a lot of changes made to Kansas City’s offense for 2026, Mahomes has proven to be a very capable fantasy producer in the past.
In fact, he was the No. 4 quarterback in fantasy points per game (per NFL.com standard scoring) in 2025. Only Allen, Stafford and Maye ranked ahead of him, and they weren’t that far in front. A lot of Mahomes’ production this past season came from his 422 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
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Mahomes ranked 13th and 14th in the two seasons before 2025, so it’s not far-fetched to assume Mahomes could have his worst-ever fantasy season in 2026. But it would be unlikely if he’s fully healthy and the Chiefs add weapons.
